


Thread and Flowers

by myravenspirit



Series: Growing Affections [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myravenspirit/pseuds/myravenspirit
Summary: Based from a prompt off of Tumblr. This a moment where Sesshomaru and Rin values each other's gifts. Rin learns to sew and is the only one who will sew her kimonos and she gives him flowers. He keeps the flowers until the wilt and die, reminding him of Rin's own finite existence. She is eleven and it is not romance, but hints of a possible future, but only friendship in this story.Re-edited September 18, 2020.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Rin & Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Series: Growing Affections [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929718
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	Thread and Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> So, I saw a post on Tumblr by screamibgdodo for SessxRin moments and now I am working on them.  
> Prompt: Wearing each other's gift (Rin learns to sew and Sesshomaru ties flowers to the hilt of his swords until they wilt and die)
> 
> Rin is eleven, this just after post-canon.

Gifts. He gave her many material objects over the past three years. Inuyasha often complained that she was spoiled. Miroku seemed to be pleased whenever he got the hand-me-downs when Rin no longer needed the kimonos and Sango thanking her for the hand-me-downs for the twins.

Kaede always looked nervous with every gift.

Rin didn't understand why until she was eleven and had seen a woman in the village receiving gifts from a man. _Oh._ Was the only thought that came to her mind.

She looked down at herself. The purple cloth that was identical to the Lady Mother's, it was a fine silk kimono. Too much for a rambunctious child like herself who often played in the fields, Inuyasha chasing after her to bring her home as the sun set.

Yet Kaede sewed the kimono, showing her how so that when the next cloth that came in she could sew her own kimono. Although she was practicing by helping Sango. She even made Shippo a new haori and was very pleased with herself as the little kitsune youkai grinned and showed it off to Kaede.

She even took to sewing on the side to earn a couple coins.

Inuyasha often got his haori torn in places. Myoga brought her thread, which she thought was impressive that the little flea carried the spool of thread until she heard Kirara growl at him. He was found out. Rin had giggled as she darned the fire rat fabric with a very special thread, Myoga apologizing to the two-tailed cat.

She made dolls for fun and Kaede collected horse hair from trimmed manes for her to use as the hair. Kaede managed to find her some wool for the stuffing. She made the twins each a doll once they born and then a couple other girls in the village saw her deliver the dolls to Miroku as Sango recovered from the birthing. She charged a small amount of coin if she wasn't supplied material or she was supplied all of the materials she did it for free.

Yes, at eleven she had discovered her talent for sewing.

She would be the only one to handle the rolls of fabric Sesshomaru brought her from then on. She would carefully sew the fabric as she knew he chose the fabric himself. It was only right that she sew her own kimonos.

But to receive other gifts that were unnecessary, such as a comb, mirror, chest, drawers, a writing desk, and the list went on and on. They had been sweet, but now she had a realization that his gifts could possibly mean more. She blushed to herself and felt a hand on her head.

"Come on Rin," Inuyasha patted her head as they walked together. They had delivered the two dolls she made for a family just outside of the village and were heading home. Kagome was doing training on midwifery and Rin wasn't needed. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her as she watched the woman and the man talk in front of the house. The parents were present of the girl, she knew the girl only to be two years older than her and the man was at least in his twenties if not early thirties. He was also a stranger in Rin's recollection of who lived in the village.

"Rin, what are you thinking about?" Inuyasha asked her as they walked together. She grabbed his sleeve and held onto it, she leaned in closer to his side as she saw the girl sniffle, red faced, upset and none to please when her parents accepted the gifts on her behalf. Her stomach clenched in pity of the girl. She enjoyed every one of her lord's gifts without knowing the meaning of them.

She wondered if Inuyasha knew the meaning of gift giving. Did he give Kagome gifts too? She wanted to ask but felt embarrassed.

"Inuyasha? Umm…Sesshomaru-sama gives me gifts," Rin blushed as she stumbled through her words and looked down at the ground and leaned against him. Her guardian in the village, even if Kaede was doing most of the work, Rin always ran to him.

"Are you wondering if he is courting you?" He asked her after they passed the house. The girl's cries loud. She winced and felt Inuyasha stop in his steps for a moment before resuming. _It's not our business. This is the way things are,_ Rin thought sadly.

"Hai," She whispered quietly.

"I don't know Rin. But he cares about you," Inuyasha said softly and Rin nodded. He stopped again and crouched down before her, "Come on, let's get you some flowers." She crawled up onto his back and he took off out of the village. The twins walking down the hill toward the same destination with their father swinging their hands and singing. The baby boy strapped to Miroku's back. Inuyasha stopped in the field and the girls attacked him after Rin hopped off and ran into the fields.

Inuyasha complained, but she could see him secretly grin. He liked kids more than he let on. Miroku looked at Rin, curling his finger toward himself. Rin nodded and walked over to him as he eased the baby boy Hisui off his back and placed him in Rin's arms with a wink. Rin nodded and let the monk stretch his back out. Rin knelt down and grabbed a flower and showed it to the baby. Hisui giggled and Rin and Miroku played with him until Inuyasha lifted up the two yawning girls that had their mother's face.

"Let's go home," Inuyasha ordered Rin and Miroku.

Miroku offered to take the baby back and Rin smiled with a shake of her head.

"You carry him all the time and girls. I can do this for a little bit. Stretch your back, Miroku-sama," she said with a smile and followed Inuyasha up the hill, the twins on his back. The baby in her arms cooing happily. Miroku carrying her flowers for her. A fair exchange.

Rin knew Sesshomaru was coming soon and wanted to give him a gift. Kagome caught on as Rin was trying to come up with ideas but to no avail.

Her sewing wasn't up to his standard of quality probably, so she wouldn't sew him anything. Kagome's skills in sewing were lacking but she showed Rin how to cross stitch. Rin's cross stitch wasn't good enough yet either.

She used to give him flowers and he would take the offered flower before tucking it into her hair or sometimes tucking it beneath his armour. He started to favour the latter after her second death. She wondered why but dared not asked.

She sighed heavily when the day for his visit came and she had nothing to gift him. She wanted to thank him for every gift she had ever received. But she was a lowly ningen and he was a daiyoukai. She had nothing to offer him. That made her stomach clench.

She wanted to say she wasn't feeling well enough to see him, but that would have caused Kaede more trouble than it was worth. He would have marched into the hut, snarling at the women and complaining that he never should have left her there. He would check on her himself, making her eat lots to regain her health, and she would feel immense guilt. She also knew he would ultimately know the truth.

Inuyasha elbowed her as they ate breakfast. "Eat. If your stomach growls, he'll think I'm not getting you enough food," he said as he nodded at her still full bowl.

Kagome smiled at Rin sympathetically. Kagome was a very good listener when she wasn't plotting things and squealing.

Like the time she had been loud and nosy in the woods when Rin was visiting Sesshomaru-sama in the woods. She had sewn the pink kimono with the purple obi. She told him to wait in the clearing before going behind a tree and changing. She wanted him to be the first to see it.

Kagome and Inuyasha happened to be close by and Kagome had decided to snoop and spy as Rin showed off her new kimono to Sesshomaru. She spun on the spot and took a few quick steps and grabbed his hand. _"See, I can catch up a little quicker now. Will you let me travel with you again? You won't forget me, will_ you?" She had asked softly. He knelt down on a knee as he pulled her close. He stared at her, amber eyes searching her brown ones. _"Hai,"_ He said to all or one of her statements. She did not know.

Kagome got herself caught as she became noisy enough that even Rin heard her. She watched as her lord stood up and smacked Inuyasha a couple times. Kagome was sent scampering away after Inuyasha unscathed.

Rin thought of the memory as she ate her rice, drinking her water slowly. When she ate enough to not embarrass herself with a growling stomach, she thanked Kaede for the food. She got up and walked to the door just as slowly before looking back to the couple. "Don't follow or this time he may use Bakusaiga!" She shouted at them and then left the house, running down the path in the village. She knew where to meet him.

She ran through the village, waving to Kohaku and Shippo who were both walking around together. An easy friendship had formed between the three of them.

"Sesshomaru-sama is coming to visit you today, Rin-chan?!" Shippo shouted.

Rin waved it off and heard Kohaku chuckle at her. She saw him like a brother, and he saw her like a sister. Sango had been just a little disappointed until Miroku told her that Kohaku and Rin had bonded like she had bonded with Inuyasha. She then gladly accepted Rin as family, a little sister that needed to be protected.

She reached the top of the hill and saw his tall looming figure there. He was watching as she ran up to him. She smiled up at him and saw him give a nod. He turned away from her and walked down the other side of the hill. Rin walked behind him until they got to the bottom of the hill and they were in the glen. He sat down gracefully. She took it as a sign and took off to pick flowers. A-Un was there grazing by the tree line. She saw the staff bob and weave through the field of flowers. Jaken nearly bumped into her but she knelt down and hugged him.

Three years meant she had grown much taller than him. He grumbled about her hugging him like he always did but returned it for a brief moment. "Rin, you keep on growing. Soon you'll be taller than Kagome," Jaken commented as Rin stood up straight with her flowers.

She smiled. "Kagome thinks so too. I'm catching up quickly. I want to be taller than her," Rin laughed as she spoke and then took off running back to Sesshomaru as he called her. Rin ran up to him as he sat on the grass still but was holding a small pouch in his hand. She sat down beside him, giving enough distance between them. He set the pouch into her and. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama," She smiled at him then turned to the gift and opened the small pouch. She grinned as she pulled out a candy and popped it into her mouth.

"How is the village, Rin?" He asked.

"Nothing has changed really from your last visit but Kohaku-nii and Shippo-chan are visiting," Rin informed him around the candy. "Oh, I saw a proposal a couple weeks ago. She was only a couple years older than me. She did not seem happy with her future husband. He was in his twenties or thirties."

"Does age matter to humans?" Sesshomaru asked and Rin looked at him with her head tilted.

"I don't know. Maybe he smelled funny. She really didn't want to marry him. He brought her many gifts and her parents accepted them on her behalf. She was married yesterday. She still cried," Rin explained and saw Sesshomaru stare at her.

An unspoken question from her and an unspoken answer from him. She was young. Not too young to receive a proposal though.

She looked away and hummed softly to herself, not uncomfortably. She always felt safest with him, but she was troubled as she took another candy and popped it into her mouth and sucked on the hard candy. He let her remain quiet for a few moments as she tied the bag shut and put it down between them. She lifted the flowers into her lap. Jaken roaming around the field back to A-Un was amusing as the beast kept walking around, teasing the small youkai.

Sesshomaru seemed to smirk at that as well.

"Rin, why do you seem troubled?" He asked her a few moments later. She didn't look at him and he didn't look at her. They both remained fixated on other things to fill their gazes.

"Umm…well, I have nothing of value to give you as my thanks for all of your gifts. It is rude, isn't it?" She asked softly and rolled the stems together and tied them with blades of grass. She weaved everything together into a circular wreath, too large to be a bangle on her thin wrist. She would have to give it to Kagome.

She sighed and held up the flower wreath. She felt eyes on her, and she glanced to him. He was staring at the flower wreath.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" She called to him.

Amber eyes flicked to her and back to the flower wreath. "Your skills have become remarkable, Rin," He complimented her.

She felt her heart jump. A compliment such as that was so wonderful to her ears. She sat on her knees close to him and held it out to him. "Would my lord take this flower wreath as my gift to him?" Rin asked hopefully.

A clawed hand plucked it out of her palm, and he shifted as he pulled Tenseiga up between them, but not out of his sash completely. She watched him push it down the hilt of Tenseiga. They both looked at it resting on Tenseiga. "It is a good gift, Rin," He told her gently. "I am pleased that you wanted to give me a gift."

She smiled brightly at him. "I'll make you another on your next visit. Except for the winter visit. There are no flowers then," Rin sounded disappointed at that.

Sesshomaru looked at the field. "I'll accept every wreath you give me." 

Rin was glad for his merciful acceptance of her gift. She would have to collect the best flowers the next time he came, but for the moment she was content that he accepted her gift.

Sesshomaru days later looked at the dying flowers on Tenseiga. Jaken's snores annoying him. He got up from his spot against the tree. A-Un sparing him a glance before going back to sleep. He walked through the woods and emerged on a grassy spot on a cliff's edge. He stared up at the stars that had been blocked by the forest's canopy.

He pulled Tenseiga from his sash and stared at the dying flowers again. He wouldn't remove it; he would wait for it to fall off on its own. _Like her mortality, I'll be here after she wilts and withers away like these flowers. I am Tenseiga in this analogy. Here, immortal, and everlasting._

Something about watching those flowers dying made something stir deep within him. He closed his eyes and smirked to himself. He was becoming more and more like his father.

He would return again to Rin and receive another wreath of flowers. It perfectly summed up her ningen existence. Hers was momentary. His was near eternal.

He had also put the wreath on the blade that he had forsaken after it turned out he was only supposed to master it so his brother could have the Meidou Zangetsuha. But Rin had convinced him to take the blade back. She refused to forsake it, holding it up and close to her chest as she trailed behind him, Jaken and Kohaku. A-Un stayed close to her always.

He wondered why she had insisted on carrying it until he deigned it the time, based on Rin's tiredness, to stop and rest. He ordered Jaken and Kohaku to find firewood and food. Rin sat down and kept Tenseiga in her hands.

 _"Why do you insist on keeping that useless blade?"_ He had asked her.

She looked hurt by the words and she pulled it close on her lap. He was silently grateful it couldn't cut her. _"Sesshomaru-sama…this blade, your Chichi-ue's fang, gave me a second chance at life. I would carry this blade if you won't,"_ She had said the words softly but they cut through him, sharper than Tessaiga cutting off his arm.

He had been surprised at the words that came from such a small ningen. He then closed his eyes and slid the sheath from his sash in defeat. _"Give me the blade, Rin. I, Sesshomaru will not have you slow me down."_ He always tried to admonish her. What he really wanted to say was that he forget how important the blade was because it was such a brief moment in his long existence. He didn't want her to feel so tired from carrying it. He could see that she was barely able to stand up and bring him the blade after holding it for half a day. He wanted to tell her that he would never forget Tenseiga's importance again because she was important to him. He valued and treasured her friendship.

But he didn't say that, he only hoped that she could see past his façade.

He kept Tenseiga because it _was_ the blade that let Rin travel with him. His friend. She didn't want anything from him except for the few occasions to be protected. In return, she smiled and sang little songs about him, she followed and listened dutifully. He let her do as she pleased.

He watched as a petal broke off and flew off in the breeze.

He would keep the wreath until it fell off Tenseiga on it is own. He would let go until it was time to.

His own analogy was not lost on him.

He looked at the full moon and the stars bright in the sky. A shooting star shot past and he closed his eyes, wondering if Rin was sitting on the roof or lying on the hill with his brother and the miko and closing her eyes and making a wish too.

 _I'll need a new wreath in a week. But I'll visit in three._ He reasoned with himself.

He didn't want to appear needy for a small ningen's gift. But he noticed how tall she had grown over the past three months from his last visit. She was growing quickly.

She was understanding more than he wanted her to know at her age. Yes, he was courting her. But he knew she would want him to say it. He wanted to say it too, but he did not have the words, not yet. He was still exploring his emotions and his growing affections for her. She was nearing the age that he could approach her.

_In the spring I am allowed to approach her with such an offer as I could make._

He opened his eyes and looked at the wreath. She did have talent. She also spoke of her sewing skills.

He wondered if she would ever sew him a kimono or yukata or anything. It sounded so domestic, yet perfect.

 _Chichi-ue, I am becoming your son more and more every time I see Rin._ He admitted to himself before walking away from the moon and went back to the campsite. He sat down and closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall into a deep meditative state that allowed him to clear his mind.


End file.
